The present invention relates generally to the field of modular fixtures for architectural applications, and in particular to connectors for connecting a series of modules to form an elongated fixture. The invention is particularly useful for assembling elongated light fixtures such as are used in suspended, indirect lighting applications.
There are a number of architectural settings in which arrays of interconnected modular fixtures are installed. For example, arrays of modular light fixtures can be suspended from a ceiling or otherwise supported, such as by mounting on a wall, in a linear, circular, polygonal, or other geometric array. However, installation of such arrays generally requires that the individual modules of the fixture be physically connected to each other in a precise alignment, both to ensure structural stability of the array and to create an esthetically pleasing appearance.
Installation and alignment of many existing types of suspended arrays require considerable time and labor to ensure proper and precise three-dimensional alignment. In particular, it is typically necessary to support both ends of an initial module while it is being suspended from a wall or ceiling or other support structure, and also while it is being physically connected to an adjacent module. In this regard, one worker typically holds the initial module while another worker attaches hangers at each end of the module. For subsequent modules, the modules are attached by a hanger at one end and to a previously hung module at the other end. For example, one worker may hold the module while another worker attaches the hanger. While the first worker continues to hold the unsupported end, the other worker can then carefully align the module with the previously hung module and use fasteners or the like to interconnect the modules. Installation procedures may be even more complex and time-consuming when additional parts must be positioned within or between fixtures. In the case of light fixtures and other electrical fixtures, for example, it is also necessary to make electrical connections between the fixtures. These operations may have to be conducted in physically cramped and awkward work spaces, where it is difficult to position mechanical parts. It will thus be appreciated that installation and alignment is generally time-consuming, labor intensive and expensive.
In some settings, it is desirable to have arrays of modular fixtures for fluorescent light tubes in which the tubes can be mounted in a manner which minimizes the distance between the ends of tubes in adjacent fixtures to provide a pleasing appearance, more uniform illumination, and/or efficient use of available space for mounting fixtures. For example, fluorescent bulbs are typically available in predetermined lengths, for example, four feet. A designer or client may desire to provide a fixture having a cumulative length of sixteen feet. If such a fixture was assembled using four modules with conventional fixtures having connectors between modules that occupy, perhaps, two or more inches, the resulting fixture could be half a foot or more larger than the desired length. Additionally, at each connection, a dark spot will appear, thereby damaging the illusion of a continuous, customized fixture. It is therefore desirable to minimize the length of connections. However, decreasing the space between the modules and, consequently, the ends of the bulbs, can result in decreased working space for making mechanical and electrical connections between the modules.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method which allow connection and alignment of modules into fixtures with reduced labor requirements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method for connecting fluorescent light modules end to end in fixtures with decreased space between the ends of the fluorescent tubes in adjacent modules.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a connector and a method for installing modules rapidly and easily in precise three-dimensional alignment.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which supports the fixtures and frees both hands of a worker to make electrical connections.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector and a method for connecting modules utilizing fewer parts and that is less labor intensive than conventional installations.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a connector for modular fixtures which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured from readily available and inexpensive materials, and a method for manufacturing such a connector.
These and other objectives are addressed by the connector system of the present invention.
The present invention is directed to connecting and aligning modules of modular fixtures, which may be suspended in an abutted end-to-end configuration from above or from a vertical wall. The present invention simplifies installation of fixtures, with decreased labor requirements relative to previous installation methods. In accordance with the present invention, connectors are mountable to fixtures, preferably substantially inside of and at the ends of the fixture modules.
The fixtures may be electrical fixtures, and more particularly, they may be fluorescent light fixtures. In this regard, connectors are adapted and mountable to the fixtures in a manner that allows fluorescent light tubes in adjacent modules to be aligned end-to-end, with minimal space between the tubes. In addition to using the available space more efficiently for mounting the fixtures, this arrangement of the light tubes eliminates dark spots which detract from the appearance of the fixture array and could decrease the uniformity of the illumination of the space in which the fixtures are mounted.
In accordance with the present invention, when modules are installed in an end-to-end configuration with the end of one module adjacent the end of another module, the connectors at those ends interlock with each other so as to cause the fixtures to be aligned with each other. To achieve this interlocking and self-aligning relationship, at least one of each pair of connectors (e.g., mating connectors of adjacent modules) includes at least one tab member, and at least the other of the two paired connectors includes at least one opening, preferably with a wide central portion and tapered sides. Each tab member also preferably tapers from a wide portion adjacent a joint between the tab member and a body portion of the connector to a narrower portion which is distal from the joint, and each tab member can be positioned to extend outward from the end of the module to which it is mounted. Preferably, the tab member(s) is deployable from a first position where the tab member is flush with the body portion (e.g., for shipping and handling) and a second position where it extends from the body portion for engaging the connector of an adjacent module.
The tab member(s) and the opening(s) are sized and positioned such that an extended tab member of one connector can be inserted through an opening of another connector to engage the connectors in at least two interlocking positions. In one interlocking position, the two connectors are close enough to each other to allow a worker to access the ends of both fixtures easily during installation of the fixtures, such as for making electrical connections, and provide adequate work space for moving the connected wires to a position where they will be invisible when installation is complete. Additionally, in this first interlocking position, one end of a module being installed can be supported by a previously hung module while the other end is suspended, thereby simplifying installation and reducing labor requirements. To facilitate engagement of the tab with the opening in the first position, the tab member may terminate in a hook distal from the joint between the tab and the body portion of the connector to which it is joined.
In the second position, the connectors are engaged such that the ends of the two fixtures abut each other, and the electrical wires are inside the fixtures and hidden from view. In a preferred embodiment, the tab member and the opening are sized and positioned such that the tapered sides of the tab member engage the tapered sides of the opening into which the tab is inserted as the two connectors are moved toward each other from the first position to the second position, and the wider portion of the tab member adjacent the joint is simultaneously and progressively guided to the widest portion of the corresponding tapered opening. The tabs and openings are also positioned such that, when connectors are in the second position, the fixtures to which the connectors are mounted are also aligned with each other. The connections between modules are thus self-aligning, as well as convenient to use and compact.
Preferably, each connector associated with each module end includes both a tab and an opening. More preferably, the connectors are identical, and the openings and tabs are positioned such that any two of the connectors can be paired, with one connector rotated 180 degrees relative to the other such that each tab member corresponds with an opening in the other connector in the pair. That is, the connectors are preferably of identical construction and are capable of mating engagement when arranged in mirror-image pairs. In this manner, construction is simplified and it is unnecessary to arrange modules in male-female series for assembly.
One aspect of the present invention involves a self-aligning engagement structure. The structure includes a body portion having at least one opening sized and shaped to accommodate a tapered tab connector from a connector on an adjacent fixture. The body portion may also include tapered tab connector, as described above, joined to the body portion at a joint. Preferably, the wide portion of the opening and the joint between the tab member and the body portion are located on opposite sides of a centerline of the assembled fixture. If the engagement structure is used for connecting light fixtures, the body portion preferably is adapted for enclosing electrical wires running between fixtures and for passing a power line into a module to which the connector is mounted. The body portion may also be adapted for supporting the fixture, such as by suspension from above or from a wall. The tab member preferably terminates in a hook for engaging an opening of an adjacent connector.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a method for making interlocking connectors for interconnecting modules of a modular fixture. The method includes the steps of providing a workpiece such as a flat sheet of metal, dimensioning the workpiece so as to allow the workpiece to be mounted to an end of one of the modules, bending the workpiece to form an end wall and a support section on opposite sides of a bend, and forming a tab connector on the end wall. The end wall may also include a tapered opening for receiving a tab connector of an adjacent module. The steps of dimensioning the workpiece and forming the tab connector involve, for example, cutting the workpiece such as by laser cutting or high precision punching. In the case where the fixture is a fluorescent light fixture, the method may further involve the steps of forming a support contour in the support section for engaging an end portion of a fluorescent light tube and forming a pass-through in the end wall and/or support section for passing electrical wires between adjacent modules. A separate or integral hanger attachment may be provided in connection with the interlocking connector for use in hanging the fixture. By virtue of such construction, the connector can be formed in large part from a single workpiece, thereby simplifying construction and reducing costs.
In yet another aspect, the present invention comprises a system for connecting and aligning fixture modules in an end-to-end relationship. In the system, there are at least two modules, each having a first end and a second end, and two connectors. The first connector includes a first body portion adapted for mounting at the first end of a first module and at least one tab member adapted for extension from the body portion beyond the first end of a module to which it is mounted. The second connector includes a second body portion adapted for mounting at the second end of the second module, with at least one tapered opening positioned to receive an extended tab member of the first connector. When the connectors are mounted to modules and interlocked with each other, the modules are forced into an aligned, butting relationship. The connectors may also be adapted to accommodate fasteners, such as screws or bolts, for securing adjacent connectors to each other to provide structural integrity for the fixture array.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for installing modules to form a fixture. The method includes the steps of: providing first and second modules, the first module having a tab connector on an end thereof and the second connector having an opening on an end thereof; connecting one of the modules to a support structure; inserting the tab connector of the first module into the opening, of the second module to engage the modules in a first interlocking position where relative longitudinal motion between the modules is constrained (e.g., the modules resist moving apart); with the modules engaged in the first position, connecting the other of the modules to a support structure and/or running electrical wires between the modules; and progressively receiving the tab within the opening such that the modules are engaged in a second position wherein the modules are in an aligned abutting relationship. This two position process allows the modules to be preliminarily engaged for support, for example, while one of the modules is being hung or electrical connections are being made, thereby reducing the complexity or labor requirements of installation, and allows for simple alignment of the modules.